Barbados

Rupturing the Narrative: Re-Conceptualizing Communication and Difference in Barbados

What happens when a “minority” passes as a member of the “majority”? What happens when a “majority” group member finds herself standing out as a “minority”? In this summer study abroad program in the Eastern Caribbean nation of Barbados, students will re-think, or more accurately, rupture their narratives of race, beauty, intelligence, culture, politics, and power.

By centering the course on Barbadian representations of culture, tourism, and race, students will begin to think globally about the ways in which power operates. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which Blackness is scripted and re-scripted in Barbados, a majority-Black country (with approximately 90% of the population having African descent), as opposed to in the United States, a minority-Black country (with approximately 14% of the population having African descent).

Student Blog

Our students are sharing their first-hand accounts as they travel the globe with their OMA&D-affiliated study abroad programs. Student Blog

Support Study Abroad

“My study abroad experience was such a blessing and it enriched my educational experience in ways I couldn’t have imagined possible. It opened new doors for me and allowed me to immerse myself into a new culture. Because of this gift, I gained a new perspective of the world, and it is immensely appreciated. Grazie mille (Thank you very much).”

– Guadalupe Tovar, ’17, Astronomy Major

Donors who support study abroad make it possible for students like Guadalupe to understand that their limits are boundless.